Geobge jacobs



G. JACOBS Oct. 21,1930.

SIGNAL f Original Filed Aug. 26, 1922 2 sheets sheet l z mzguw Oct. 21, 1 930. G. JACOBS Re. 17,835

S IGNAL Original Filed Aug. 26(1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Reissued Oct. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE moons", or nnraor'r, MICHIGAN SIGNAL I Original No. 1,557,292, dated October 18, 1925, Serial No. 584,400, filed August 26, 1922. reissue filed February 28,

This invention relates to means for makin and breaking the electric circuit to a signal lamp, particularly to the tail light of a motor vehicle at each actuation of a movable member such as the brake pedal of the vehicle, and its object is to provide a simple and effective mechanism of this character which will interrupt such circuit at predeterinined intervals,irrespectively of the distance the actuating member is moved.

So called stop lights are now on the market adapted to be mounted on the rear ends of motor vehicles to signal drivers in the' rear that the vehicles equipped with such lamps are to slow down or stop. These lamps are usually in addition to the regular tail lamps of the vehicle. The present device is intended to use the tail light as a stop light by causing it to flash during either day or night frequently and rapidl at each actuation of the brake or clutc pedal so as to notify those'in the rear of such actuation. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagram lllustrating this current interrupter and the pedal and lamp connected thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section 'of the inter:

rupter;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectionson the line 3- of Fig. 2 taken in opposite directions; F Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of 1g. 4;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are sections on the lines 6 6, 7-7 and 88 of Fig. 3. Y

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views. This interrupter is designed to be mount ed on 'a board or other support 19 and the end 8 will usually be the top. Any desired means may be employed to swing the'aotuating arm 4, but this am will usually be connected to a brake or clutch pedal of an automobile by a wire or rod 1, a strong -15 spring 2 being connected into this rod for safety. The arm 4 may be returned to the normal position shown in Fig. 1 by a spring 5 which may be attached to a continuation 3 of this wire or rod 1. The lamp 6 connects to the binding post 7 1927. serial No. 171,647. f

on the end 8 of the interrupter shell 9 by means of a wire 10. This end 8 is preferably of insulating material. A wire 12 connects the second post 13% the battery 14 while a third post .15 is adapted to be connected to'the wire 10 by means of the'wire 16 and the switch 17. The shell 9 connects to abase 18 adapted to be attached to any desired support 19 by means of screws 20. -The crank arm 4 connects to a vertical shaft- 22 to which is attached an arm 23. On this shaft is journalled a sleeve 24 which is connected to the arm-23 by means of a spring 25 so that when the crank arm 4 and the arm 23 are swung from full to dotted line positions in Fig. 3, the sleeve 24 and the sector 26 connected thereto will be moved-in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4.

A bracket 27 is attached to the shell 9 and carries one end of the shaft 28, the otherend of the shaft being mounted in the base 18 as shown in Fig. 2. On this shaft is mounted a sleeve 29 having a pinion 30 at one end meshing with the teeth 32 on the sector 26 and also having an arm 33 which carries a pin 34 on which a pawl 35 is mounted. This pawl engages a ratchet wheel 36- which is united to an escapement wheel 37 Journaled in the bracket 27 and inthe base 18 is an escapement shaft 38 to which is connected the pendulum 39 which may have a weight 39 at its lower end. This pendulum connects to the escapement 31 which engages the wheel 37 in the usual manner and permits the spring 25 to rotate the wheel 37 step by step. When, therefore, the arm 23 is swung Application for to dotted line position in Fig. 3, the sector 26 will be pulled toward the left by the spring 25, the rate of its movement being determined by this escapement. The arm 23 and the sector are both preferably of metal.

Attached to the. end 8 of the case are three circular contact segments 40, 41 and 42, conv outer double contact members having one arm or leaf 51 engaging the contact strip 41 and the other leaf 52 engaging the plate 45 on the sector 26, as shown in Fig. 6, and an inner single contact leaf 53 engaging the inner contact strip 42. The operation of this device is as follows:

Operation When the parts are as shown in the drawings, the finger 47 is over a small insert 43 of insulation so that no current can pass to the wire 10 and the lamp. As soon as-the arms 4 and 23 are swung, tension on the spring 25 causes the finger 47 to pass over the small metal strips between the insulation insertions 43 and at each contact, current passes from the grounded. battery 14 over wire 12, post 13 to contact strip 41, leaf contacts 51 and 52, to the plate 45, arm 46 and finger 47 to the contacts 55, post 7 and wire 10 to the lamp 6 and toground. As the contact finger 47 passes over insulation inserts 43 and contacts 55 alternately, the lamp 6 will flash and extinguish, the rate depending on the pendulum 39.

When the switch 17 is closed, which it will be if the lamp 6 is to be normally ignited as at night, the current will pass from the battery to the segment 41 as before, then over the leaf contacts 51 and 52 to the plate 48, then to the inner leaf contact .53 as shown in Fig. 7 and to the segment 42, binding post 15, wire 16, switch 17 and wires 56 and 10 to the lamp, the end 57 of the leaf contact 53 being sufliciently long to bridge betwen the plate 48 and the segment 42. But as soon as the arms 4 and 23 are swung, the leaf contact 53 leaves the plate 48 and the lamp is extinguished and remains dark until it begins to flash by reason of the finger 47 passing over the small strips 55.

It will therefore be seeri that when the switch 17 is closed. the lamp 6 is normally burning, but that when this switch is open the lamp remains dark. But as soon as the arm 4 is swung, the lamp alternately flashes and extinguishes until the plate 48 catches up with theleaf contacts 51-52-53. If the arm 4 is moved slowly, the sector 26 may keep up with it and the flasheswill be proportionately slow. When thearm 4 is released, both the arm 23 and the sector'return to normal position at once, being permitted to do so by the pawl 35.

The details and proportions of the various parts of this signal may be changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following'claims.

I claim ing its contact face interrupted and being in the form of alternating conducting and nonconducting surfaces, a movable contact member adapted to slide over the interrupted contact face, means to regulate the rate of movement of said movable contact, manually movable means to actuate the movable contact, and additional contacts mounted on the manually movable means and adapted to engage the remainder of the contact segments and said movable contact member. 7

2. 'In a signal, the combination of a series of contact bars and electric conductors connected thereto, the contact face of one of said bars being interrupted by non-conducting areas, a movable contact adapted to slide over the interrupted contact face, a manually movable actuator, .a spring connecting said actuator to the movable contact, an escapement to regulate the rate of movement of the movable contact, and a pair of contacts mounted on said actuator to electrically connect another of said contact bars and said movable contact.

3. In a signal, the combination of a shaft, means to turn the shaft back and forth through limited arcs, a series of contact segments concentric with the shaft, the contact face of one of said segments being interrupted by non-conducting areas, a movable contact plate rotatably mounted on the shaft and a finger on the plate slidable oyer the interrupted contact face, an actuating member connected to said shaft, a spring connecting said contact plate to said actuating member whereby the shaft may swing the contact plate, an escapement to control the rate of rotation of said contact plate, and electric conductors on the actuating member to electrically connect the contact plate and another segment.

4. In a signal, the combination of three contact bars and electric conductors connected thereto, the contact face of one of said bars being interrupted by non-conducting areas, a movable contact plate and av contact thereon adapted to slide over'the interrupted contact face, a manually movable actuator, resilient means connecting the actuator to said movable contact, an escapement to control the rate of movement of the contact plate, a contact mounted on the actuator to electrically connect the contact plate to one of the contact bars when the actuators is in normalposition, and additional means mounted on the actuator to electrically connect the contact plate to the third contact bar when the actuator has been moved from normal position.

5. In a signal, the combination of a contact bar having a contact face interrupted by nonconducting areas, a relatively movable contact member adapted to slide over the contact bar, an escapement to regulate the movement of said movable contact member over the bar, an electric conductor connected to said bar, a second electric conductor, means to electrically connect the second electric conductor to said movable contact member during such movement, a third electric conductor, and means for connecting the second conductor to the third when the movable contact member is at one end of its movement.

6. In a signal, the combination of stationary contact members and electric conductors connected thereto, one of said segments having its contact face interrupted, a movable contact carrier, contacts attached thereto adapted to slide over the stationary contact members, means to actuate the contact car- 'rier, and means to regulate the rate of movement thereof.

7 In combination with a vehicle, an electric visual warning signal therefor, a movable element for controlling the progress of the vehicle, a circuit including the signal and asuitable source of electric energy, means actuated by movement of the control element for intermittently opening and closing the circuit to energize and deenergize the signal,

' and means for controlling said first named means to govern the frequency with which the circuit is opened and closed.

8. In combination with a vehicle, a visual warning signal therefor, a movable element for controlling the progress of the vehicle, an electric circuit including the signal and a suitable source of electric energy, means actuated by the control element when moved to intermittently open and close the circuit for an interval of time and thereafter maintain the circuit closed, and means for controlling said first named means to govern the frequency with which the circuit is opened and closed. z

9. In combination with a vehicle, a visual warning signal therefor, a movable element for controlling the progress of the vehicle, a circuit including the signal and a suitable source of electric energy, power storage means connected to said control element and energized by movement of said control element, means actuated by the power stored in said first named means foropeningand closing the circuit to said signal, and means for controlling said second means to govern the frequency with which the circuit is opened and closed.

10. In combination with a vehicle, a visual warning signal therefor, a movable element for controlling the progress of the vehicle, a circuit including said signal and a suitable source of electric energy, means controlled bythe movable element when moved to intermittently open and close the circuit and means including an escapement mechanism for controlling said first named means to govern the frequency with which the circuit is opened and closed.

11. In a vehicle provided with a movable vehicle control element, an electrically oper ated visual warning signal, a battery, and a switching device in series with said battery and said signal and operable by saidvehicle control element, two parallel circuit aths between said switchin device and sai signal, one of said paths mcluding an intermittently operating signal flashing make and break device normally inoperative and in eluding means which render it operable upon movement of said vehicle control element, the

other of said paths including a normally and said signal and operable by said vehicle control element, two parallel circuit aths between said switching device and sai signal, one of said paths including an intermittently operating signal flashing make and break device normally inoperative and including means which render it operable upon movement of said vehicle control element, the other of said paths including a normally closed switch device which opens upon movement of said vehicle control element and a manually and independently operated switch, the connections between the parts aforementioned being such that said signal is intermittently operated upon movement of said vehicle control element, and is steadily operative or steadily inoperative when said vehicle control element is not bein moved, said intermittently operating signal ashing make and break device being provided with a spring means for slowly expending the energy created with great rapidity by the movement of said vehicle control element.

13. In a vehicle provided with a movable vehicle control element, an electrically operated visual warning signal, a battery, and a switchingdevice in series with said battery and said signal and operable by said vehicle control element, two parallel circuit paths between said switching device and said signal, one of said paths including an operating signal flashing make and break device normally inoperative and including means which render it operable upon movement of said vehicle control element, the other of said paths in- III ' eluding a. normally closed switch device which i ens upon movement of said vehicle control e ement and a manually and independently operated switch, the connections between the parts aforementioned being such that said signal is intermittently operated upon movement of said vehicle control element, and is steadily operative or steadily inoperative when said vehicle control element is not being moved, said intermittently operating signal flashing make and break device being provided with a means for slowly expending the I energy created with great rapidity by the movement of said vehicle control element, said means mcluding a spring and an escapement device.

- GEORGE JACOBS. 

